Catholic Weddings

HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her

Response from my Democrat senator:

hank you for contacting me regarding birth control and women's health.  I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

I believe we should all work to prevent and reduce the number of abortions in this country.  I support access to birth control, which will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and ultimately reduce abortions.  This is an emotional, difficult subject.  But if you really believe that reducing abortions is important in this country, which I do, then it doesn't work to keep putting up barriers to women getting birth control.  For this reason, I voted against the amendment offered by my colleague, Senator Roy Blunt (Senate Amendment 1520), which would have allowed any employer, health plan sponsor, or insurance company to refuse coverage for their employees for any type of essential health care services -- including birth control, maternity care, prenatal testing, and HIV/AIDS screening -- based solely on an undefined "moral objection."

As you may know, following considerable debate, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reached a compromise so that religiously-affiliated employers will not have to provide birth control if it violates that employer's religious beliefs.  This compromise, which I support, ensures that all women with employer-sponsored health plans will have access to free preventive health services, while protecting the religious freedom of religiously-affiliated employers.  If a church or religious employer determines that covering birth control would be inconsistent with their organization's beliefs, the insurance company rather than the employer will be required to offer these services directly to women. 

Groups on both sides of the debate, including the Catholic Health Association and Planned Parenthood, have expressed their support of this compromise.  Under the new HHS guidelines, no one will be required to use birth control or other preventive care services under any plan.  Each woman, pursuant to her own beliefs, will access the services she deems appropriate.  However, a woman will not be denied access to health services, like birth control, based on the decision of her employer, instead of retaining for herself the right to choose whether to use birth control or not.  The new guidelines also do not eliminate or change existing conscience protections, which I support, that allow doctors and individual healthcare providers to choose whether or not to prescribe or administer birth control in accordance with their own beliefs.

It should be noted that 28 states already require health insurance plans to cover contraceptive services.  The compromise guidelines follow in the steps of most states, including Missouri, which have already found a reasonable way to ensure access to preventive health services while also respecting employers' First Amendment right to religious freedom, a fundamental principle on which our nation was founded.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other issue.

 

MY RESPONSE TO HER:

 

The only point I agree with you on is that we need to reduce abortion. The idea that the path to that is to pay for artificial birth control is so ludicrous that it leaves me speechless. There are people who would love the babies who are aborted, and there are profoundly safer and more effective ways to avoid pregnancy if one truly wishes to do so - such as natural family planning and - dare I say it - the most effective way to avoid pregnancy is to not have sex. As a clinical psychologist, I have seen firsthand the profoundly disturbing effects of our society's current emphasis on sexuality over relationships. Too many of our young people equate the two, because they have no idea how to form an intimate relationship without sexual activity. The age of first sexual activity is going down at an alarming rate, and rather than facing the true problem head-on, we are offering ways for people to simply continue treating sex as if it were as casual as shaking hands, as if it were liberating rather than imprisoning. Relationship education, helping people to understand the role of sexual activity within a loving committed relationship, rather than as a substitute - that is where we need to focus our efforts, not on public financial support for drugs that are damaging and not the least bit preventive - pregnancy, after all, is not a disease but a natural and beautiful part of life. It is not as simple or rapid a solution as simply doling out pills, but it would do much less harm and far more good.

I feel very sad that you are supporting this. No one is saying that women should be restricted from having birth control. We are saying that if a woman is mature enough to engage in sex, she is mature and responsible enough to pay for her own birth control. And no one, no one, should be required to provide financial support for something they believe is morally wrong. It is one more shot at respect for religious rights in this country.

Again, I regret that you are in such strong support of this bill. It has cost you my vote, though I do appreciate your hearing what I have to say with respect.

 

 

 

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Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her

  • Good job linda! This isn't about reducing abortions. What a crock of sh-t. This is about PAYING for others' optional "lifestyle" drugs. It's like saying "let's reduce the number of obese people by making us all pay for liposuction".

    ugh.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_hhs-mandate-response-from-my-democrat-senator-and-my-response-to-her?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:5ddba026-5b7d-49a9-a932-4a2dc1e92a2aPost:bbda29d9-fc97-4c84-a4bd-fa64ea44f844">Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her</a>:
    [QUOTE]Good job linda! This isn't about reducing abortions. What a crock of sh-t. This is about PAYING for others' optional "lifestyle" drugs. It's like saying "let's reduce the number of obese people by making us all pay for liposuction". ugh.
    Posted by Riss91[/QUOTE]

    What a great comparison.  We're currently filling public schools with educational programs aimed at getting this new generation of students off the couch and out into the sun and eating healthier, but we can't expect grown men and women to use their bodies responsibly?
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  • Furhter, how does removing all responsibility for sex/pregnancy REDUCE abortions? People popping pills removes all consequence from their consciousness. This lack of direct involvement in sexuality A) makes people think sex is free of consequence B) makes people think it's not their "fault" if they have an unplanned pregnancy C) everything can be solved with a pill D) allows women to be used for sex more easily
  • I am a lurker on this board, mostly because FI and I are Protestant but way more in line with a lot of Catholic positions (like we are on the NFP route for the same theology of the body reasons that the Catholic Church presents). I just wanted to say that I am so glad that you wrote to your senator and that your response was very well-written and thoughtful. Just wanted to encourage you ladies that there are non-Catholic women out there who want to support this position, and I think you just motivated me to get my butt in gear and write to my senators, too!
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_hhs-mandate-response-from-my-democrat-senator-and-my-response-to-her?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:5ddba026-5b7d-49a9-a932-4a2dc1e92a2aPost:ea0403c9-698c-4d58-b383-ba05d78ddf35">Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her</a>:
    [QUOTE]Furhter, how does removing all responsibility for sex/pregnancy REDUCE abortions? People popping pills removes all consequence from their consciousness. This lack of direct involvement in sexuality A) makes people think sex is free of consequence B) makes people think it's not their "fault" if they have an unplanned pregnancy C) everything can be solved with a pill D) allows women to be used for sex more easily
    Posted by Riss91[/QUOTE]

    And "birth control failure" is a huge reason for abortions.  Let's stop throwing money at this and work on programs that empower women to understand their bodies AND support those women who find themselves with a child they cannot have.
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  • Not to mention, even PP themselves have admitted that as more BC becomes available, more abortions happen.
  • Wow, what an awesome response! Now if only it would be read. You made a lot of great points!!
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  • A friend of mine posted a letter she received from her congresswoman that started with, "Thank you for your support in the War on Women..."  Gross.
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  • lalaith50lalaith50 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited March 2012
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_hhs-mandate-response-from-my-democrat-senator-and-my-response-to-her?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:5ddba026-5b7d-49a9-a932-4a2dc1e92a2aPost:7f80cb97-8b85-4b3c-8ed3-72a8b6391a9e">Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her</a>:
    [QUOTE]A friend of mine posted a letter she received from her congresswoman that started with, "Thank you for your support in the War on Women..."  Gross.
    Posted by professorscience[/QUOTE]
    oh my freaking goodness. <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-surprised.gif" border="0" alt="Surprised" title="Surprised" /><div>could that possibly have been a typo?</div>
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_hhs-mandate-response-from-my-democrat-senator-and-my-response-to-her?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:5ddba026-5b7d-49a9-a932-4a2dc1e92a2aPost:7f80cb97-8b85-4b3c-8ed3-72a8b6391a9e">Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her</a>:
    [QUOTE]A friend of mine posted a letter she received from her congresswoman that started with, "Thank you for your support in the War on Women..."  Gross.
    Posted by professorscience[/QUOTE]

    <div>That's just flat out seriously unprofessional to have such sarcasm from anyone in congress. </div>
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_hhs-mandate-response-from-my-democrat-senator-and-my-response-to-her?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:5ddba026-5b7d-49a9-a932-4a2dc1e92a2aPost:bd64c14f-dc5e-45b4-9ec7-335e4c5e95f5">Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her</a>:
    [QUOTE]I am a lurker on this board, mostly because FI and I are Protestant but way more in line with a lot of Catholic positions (like we are on the NFP route for the same theology of the body reasons that the Catholic Church presents). I just wanted to say that I am so glad that you wrote to your senator and that your response was very well-written and thoughtful. Just wanted to encourage you ladies that there are non-Catholic women out there who want to support this position, and I think you just motivated me to get my butt in gear and write to my senators, too!
    Posted by Laurahan1127[/QUOTE]<div>
    </div><div>Welcome, Laura!  My FI and I were both anti-contraception and pro-NFP as protestants before we converted to Catholicism.  It is nice when people of both denominations can share beliefs on things like this.</div><div>
    </div><div>Feel free to join us in discussions on this stuff whenever you like!</div><div>
    </div><div>

    </div>

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  • And way to go, Linda!  Very nice response to the senator!

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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_hhs-mandate-response-from-my-democrat-senator-and-my-response-to-her?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:5ddba026-5b7d-49a9-a932-4a2dc1e92a2aPost:f21b3e4c-1595-4b2f-88f1-20c2839cffec">Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her : That's just flat out seriously unprofessional to have such sarcasm from anyone in congress. 
    Posted by agapecarrie[/QUOTE]

    Right?  I should clarify that the friend and the state legislator are both quite liberal, so they are of the opinion that this is some all out war on our ovaries.  As much as I love this friend, I hate seeing her facebook updates, as of late.
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_hhs-mandate-response-from-my-democrat-senator-and-my-response-to-her?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:5ddba026-5b7d-49a9-a932-4a2dc1e92a2aPost:ea0403c9-698c-4d58-b383-ba05d78ddf35">Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her</a>:
    [QUOTE]Furhter, how does removing all responsibility for sex/pregnancy REDUCE abortions? People popping pills removes all consequence from their consciousness. This lack of direct involvement in sexuality A) makes people think sex is free of consequence B) makes people think it's not their "fault" if they have an unplanned pregnancy C) everything can be solved with a pill D) allows women to be used for sex more easily
    Posted by Riss91[/QUOTE]

    <div><strong>While I do completely agree that insurance companies should be able to deny coverage of birth control</strong> I would like to point out that some of these reasons you are listing here I take very offensively. I am a catholic women and I do take birth control. I certainly do not think that sex is free of consequence, I in fact feel quite the opposite. I would never think if I got pregnant that it was not my fault, because there is no one other than myself to blame in that situation. I would never in a million years think that everything can be solved with a pill (people who feel that was might want to go back to school and become a bit more educated) and the most offensive thing written here is that it allows women to be used for sex more easily (women who allow themselves to be used for sex, allow themselves whether they are on birth control or not). </div><div>I am an avid pro life person. I rarely see a reason for an abortion. As I said before I do not think insurance companies should need to cover birt control because i dotn feel as though it is a medication that someone NEEDS to take. With that said, there is an <strong>epidemic</strong> of women who use abortion as a form of birth control, how do we fix <strong>that? </strong></div>
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  • Thank you for taking the time to write to write to your Senators.  Unfortunately I doubt mine will do anything.  What scares me is this bill is a clear violation of the Seperation between Church and State. The first amendment says that there will be no law establishing a religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.  This is prohibiting the free exercise thereof?  I am really scared that when this goes into effect, what is next?  I also want to know why are these religious freedoms not for us?  Are we going to start taxing the Amish? Are we going to force Quakers to fight in a war?  I don't know about the rest of you, but I am scared.
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  • lalaith50lalaith50 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited March 2012
    Briannasteve-
    You said you are an avid pro-life person. Are you aware that the pill sometimes acts as an abortifacient?
    Since it sounds like you take the pill and are sexually active, have you considered how that fact above may have ever affected you?
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  • lala- 
    I am aware of everything that the pill does, since I have been on it for 8 years. I also take other steps to ensure I do not get pregnant, so I can assure you that has never happened to me. I just do not think people should assume such horrible things about women who take birth control. I would be terrified of how many more abortions there would be if birth control was not available (at all) and abortion was still legal, because we need to face the facts that there are people who do not think of sex as a serious matter, and who do not think that life starts at conception. 
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  • Brianna,

    Not EVERYONE who takes the pill views sex as separated from any consequences.  I don't think Riss was saying that.

    But it does have that effect on many people (men and women both).  50% of the women who go to receive an abortion reported using some form of contraception while they were having sex.  If you having sex on the pill, it may often be that you're not ready to accept a child into your life, but you want to have sex anyway.  Again, that doesn't mean that every single woman feels that way, but it is an increasingly common attitude.

    And it does lead to an increased objectification of women because men can use women for sex without consequences.  That doesn't mean EVERY man... it just means that men who would use women can do so more easily because they don't have to worry about a baby being produced.

    It has also lead to the general overall feeling among people that a woman's uterus is something that needs to be controlled and dominated.  Women feel that they are a "slave" to their uterus, and they need to subjugate their own femininity in order to succeed in society.

    Contraception essentially breaks a healthy function of the woman's body.

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  • Contraception in the form of a pill can actually be given to a woman to help her have children later on. In the case of a woman having endometriosis, many doctors give the pill to women who want to have children, in order to keep the uterus from further damage, allowing a woman to carry their baby to carry full term when she does become pregnant. 
    I know this because this is one of the reasons i was put on birth control. Because my concern has always been about future children. 
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  • agapecarrieagapecarrie member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited March 2012
    Brianna,

    Some of the things you are mentioning are proving the original point.

    You said " I would never think if I got pregnant that it was not my fault, because there is no one other than myself to blame in that situation"

    Fault? Blame? We are talking about sex actually working the way its supposed to...the natural outcome of sex is babies. There is no fault or blame and it is obviously a negative situation to you in this circumstance, which pregnancy shoudldn't be thought of as a disease to avoid.

    The tearing apart of sex from babies IS the rupture that is causing this whole problem. By the very fact that people can shut of their God-given procreative powers from the act that is supposed to be imaging the trinity, they have a divorced rupture in what its about, therefore, using sex so casually. 

    We want people to be transormed from the inside out, save sex for marriage, but if there were additional outcomes that would be happening, even more the valueing of sex in its proper place. 

    Also, there are many many docs who refuse to administer any kind of hormonal birth control because its poison. Its a class 1 carcinogen. There are other treatments.

    Please give "Theology of the body for beginners" and "Good news about sex and marriage" by Christopher West a read. 
  • Brianna, I do apologize for making it sound as though every woman taking a pill was irresponsible or someone incapable of thought. That wasn't my aim. My point is that the broader perspective of sex is much different when most people expect women to be on pills to prevent pregnancy and that pills aren't necessarily HELPING women (in all/most cases). I'm countering the idea that being against these pills = being in a war against women. I wasn't speaking to women that need a pill for severe medical issues. That is clearly an exemption from this topic.
  • I too don't want to give the impression that every woman who uses birth control pills is irresponsible...I do know that I was. I took ABC pills for a number of years off and on, BC (Before Conversion, LOL), but ultimately stopped when my partner at the time got a vasectomy. The next time I was on ABC was when my doctor prescribed Depo Prevera (still BC here) to help with my migraines. Sadly, my experience was the opposite of the previous poster. I had a period for six straight weeks, then stopped and had none. The Depo didn't help the migraines...in fact, it made them worse. When I finally decided to stop having sex outside of marriage, and got scared about the side effects, I went off the Depo. I was 43, and I haven't had a period since. My FSH levels two years ago (at age 47) were clearly post-menopausal, which scares & saddens me. I can't help but think the Depo irreparably changed something within me. There are many women who will be responsible and mature. But there are many, many GIRLS who are not, and I tremble for them.
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_hhs-mandate-response-from-my-democrat-senator-and-my-response-to-her?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:5ddba026-5b7d-49a9-a932-4a2dc1e92a2aPost:072a4ecf-603a-45e9-b401-c102ef6fd62e">Re: HHS Mandate: Response from my DEMOCRAT senator, and my response to her</a>:
    [QUOTE]Thank you for taking the time to write to write to your Senators.  Unfortunately I doubt mine will do anything.  What scares me is this bill is a clear violation of the Seperation between Church and State. The first amendment says that there will be no law establishing a religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.  This is prohibiting the free exercise thereof?  I am really scared that when this goes into effect, what is next?  I also want to know why are these religious freedoms not for us?  Are we going to start taxing the Amish? Are we going to force Quakers to fight in a war?  I don't know about the rest of you, but I am scared.
    Posted by Ciardasully[/QUOTE]
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  • Feh. I meant to add "Me too" to Ciarda's post, but my iPad would not cooperate. Sorry, list.
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  • Thank you for your appology, and i totally agree people need to take the time out to write their senators. I actually hold a poli sci degree and one of my main concerns has always been abortion. My fiance and I have been together since we were 14 we have always been the odd ones in school because we were more conservative and traditional than our fellow classmates. We're not ultra conservative but i dont agree with the lifestyles of many teens then or now. Makes me sick when I hear of all the girls who have sex (not on the pill) and think everything can be solved by going to a doctor or a center to "have it taken care of" then they repeat the process again. Makes my physically ill to think of all the children that are missing, and how many people are dying to have babies and cannot. 
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  • I lurk on this board but will ask for the following: Call a political party by what it calls itself.

    There is such a lack of civility in politics today and part of it is the lack of respect when referring to the other side of the aile - what used to be called the loyal opposition.  Ted Kennedy and Orin Hatch could mix it up, argue their hearts out and remain respectful. 

    It is the Democratic Party, not the Democrat Party.
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  • GoodLuckBear -- I am almost positive OP meant no disrespect by leaving "-ic" off the party title.  Honestly, I find it odd that you think that's disrespectful.  I guess I don't see anything offensive about it.  Please let me know if I'm missing something?

     

  • Agree.  This thread isn't really about semantics.  At least not those semantics.
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  • lalaith50lalaith50 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited March 2012
    The Republican party is full of Republicans, and the Libertarian Party is full of Libertarians, so I really can't see how it could possibly be offensive either as a typo or misinformation to assume (wrongly or rightly,) that Democrats hang out in the Democrat Party!
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  • Haha, Lalaith I was totally thinking that! 

     

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